Posted: 09/05/2013 by Michael McAuliff
huffingtonpost.com
WASHINGTON—Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) thinks the House of Representatives should vote down a Syria war resolution on 9/11, in support of the victims of the terrorist attacks 12 years ago. ”If there’s a vote in the House, it should be held on 9/11 so that the House can honor the victims of 9/11 by defeating the resolution and demonstrating we will not help Al Qaeda,” Culberson told reporters Thursday after attending a classified briefing on the Syrian civil war and the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad.
Rep. John Culberson (R)
Culberson said he had no doubt that the Assad regime was behind the chemical attack that killed more than 1,400 people, but he said that didn’t change his mind or the minds of voters about getting more engaged in Syria. ”In addition to my core philosophical belief that we have no strategic interest at stake—this is not America’s fight—my constituents, 96 percent of them, have said ‘No, stay out,’ and I’m going to fulfill my responsibilities to my job description and vote no,” Culberson said. He argued that the Syrian civil war involves actors on each side who are enemies of the U.S., including opposition groups with ties to Al Qaeda. Voting down a resolution to use U.S. force in that fight on the anniversary of Al Qaeda’s attacks on America, he said, would add “clarity” to the debate.
“How can it be any clearer? That’s the perfect day to do it,” Culberson said. “They need to defeat it to honor the victims of 9/11. We will not give aid and comfort to the psychopaths that carried out the 9/11 attack.” As he was speaking, he received an email from his staff saying House leaders expected the Senate to hold its first full vote on the matter on the 12-year anniversary. That is possible under the schedule Senate officials have released. It calls for introducing the resolution—which passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday—to the full Senate on Friday. Under Senate rules, the first vote (which merely would be to end debate on a motion to proceed to the measure) would come on 9/11, unless leaders can secure the consent of all senators to hold the vote sooner.